Phonograph



4 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

(No Model.) 7

L. S. CLARKE.

PHONOGRAPB.

No. 474,94.6. Patented May 17, 1892.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. 'S. CLARKE.

PHONOGRAPH. No. 474,946. Patented May 17, 1892.

4 SheetsSheet 3. L. S. CLARKE. PHONOGRAPH.

(No Model.)

Patented Ma 1'7, 1892.

(No Model.) 4 4Sheets-Sheet 4:

L. S. CLARKE.v

PHONOGRAPH.

No. 474,946. Patented May 17, 1892.

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v: It Qf=\ I I 1 I I I '1 4 i Q "I lfi: E I l W Q I l 3e i! :Q n" i MW IIN!" W NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS S. CLARKE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PHONOGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,946, dated May 17,1892.

Application filed December 23, 1889- Serial No. 334,650. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS S. CLARKE, aresident of Pittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Im provement in Phonographs and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to phonographs, its object being to improve theseinstruments or machines in certain particulars. It is well known thatboth in the phonograph and the graphophone, as they are termed, it hasbeen considered necessary to employ two diaphragms, one for recordingand the otherfor reproducing, these two diaphragms in the phonographbeing arranged in a frame, and it being necessary to swing the frame inorder to bring the one or the other diaphragm into position, and in thegraphophone-machine the different mechanisms for recording and forreproducing being formed separate and the apply the other thereto.

One object of my invent-ion is to overcome" this difficulty by soimproving the machine that the same diaphragm is employed for bothrecording and reproducing, the shifting of a small lever being allthatis necessary to make the change.

Another object of my invention is to provide for the useof thephonograph recorderand reproducer upon the graphophone-machine. It isalso found very desirableto provide for the moving back of the diaphragmfor a short distance during reproducing in order to provide for therepetition of part of the record made on the cylinder, and bymyinvention I provide a simple means for obtaining this result.

My invention has also certain further objects, all of which will behereinafter more fully set forth, and the special improvements embodiedin my invention will be particularly claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willdescribe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side view showing the instrument in position forrecording and showing the diaphragm in sectional view. Fig. 2 is asectional view, partly in side elevation, show ing the machine inposition for reproducing, the driving-gearing being omitted. Fig. 3 is alike sectional view, partly in side elevation, showing the position ofthe machine when the mechanism for drawing the diaphragm backwardly isin operation. Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the machine. Fig. 5 is adetail back view of part of the machine. Fig. 6 is a detail bottom planview, and Fig. 7 is a detail top plan view, of the diaphragm andreversing mechanism.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each figure.

My invention is illustrated as applied to a graphophone-machine, thoughit is evident that it can be well applied to the ordinary phonographmachine, such changes being made therein as would be required, such asin the supporting of the frame and the connections with the feedingmechanism.

As illustrated in the drawings, the frame A of the machine carries thecylinder-holder a by which the recording-cylinder a is supported, thiscylinder-holder being driven by the pulley a and driving, through thegearing a a the shaft a, and from it by suitable gearing thefeeding-screw b. The shaft a extends the full length of themachine-frame, as in the ordinary graphophone-machin'e.

The feeding-screw b is mounted in the upper part of the machine-frameand inclosed in a sheath 1), and the frame B, carrying thediaphragmframe E, is mounted on the shaft a and the sheath 1), whichincloses the major portion of the feeding-screw b.

The frame B has two side bars or plates b extending down from the sleeve1), fitting around the sheath 19', these two side plates having theinwardly-extending portions 19 with forks b at the base thereof, whichfit around the shaft a and the frame being thus supported.

The frame 13 carries the concave face or sectional nut c, which by thespring 0' is pressed upwardly into contact with the screwbar I), theframe being fed forward by the rotation of the screw-bar when it is inengagement with this nut c. The nut c has the extension 0 which fitsinto a seat within the frame, its base pressing upon the spring a, andthis extension 0 has an arm 0 extending outwardly through a slot in theframe into such position.

as to engage with the mechanism for withdrawing the nut, ashereinafterdescribed. For the ordinary purposes of sliding the frameback and forth on the bars on which it is mounted to disengage the nutfrom the screwbar I employ the sliding bar d, having the thumb-piece dat the upper end thereof and mounted in the lugs or bearings 0Z cl ofthe frame B, the coiled spring d being confined between the lowerbearing d and the collar 0Z secured by a set-screw to the bar dandextending out into position to engage with the arm 0 of the nut c, andso draw down the nut when the slidin bar is pressed downwardly. The rodhas also the collar d confined thereon by a set-screw to limit itsupward movement, said collar striking against the bearing d The frame E,carrying the diaphragm F, is mounted on the frame B at e, and it mayswing upwardly in said bearing, the frame E having the spring 6, whichcan engage with the shaft of to hold the diaphragm in its raisedposition, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

TheframeEis forinedin two parts-namely, the diaphragm-carrier F and therear extension E'-these two parts being connected by the bolt e andbeing formed in two parts for convenience in securing together thedifierent parts supported in the frame. The diaphrag'mbarrier F issimply a ring having an extension f at one end and having a seat toreceive'the ring f, within which the diaphragm is clamped, which ring isheld therein by the set-screw f the diaphragm being supported above therecording-cylinder a. Secured to the ring f or diaphragm-carrier F isthe weight g, which is employed with the Edison reproducer, this weightbeing pivoted at the forward end of the ring or carrier, as shown. Forthe purposes of recording and reproducing I employ the lever h, havingthe recording-stylus 71 directly under the diaphragm F and having thereproducing-stylus k at the other end, this lever h being pivoted at hto the weight g and being connected by the link z" to the diaphragm F,this link being pivoted at the forward end to the lever h just above therecording-stylusi and at its upper end to the lug 2' attached directlyto the diaphragm. By such construction it is evident that in making therecord, when the recording-stylus 71 is brought into position upon therecording-cylinder, the vibrations imparted to the diaphragm F areimparted directly through the link 11' to the recordingstylus, saidstylus being in such case supported by the bearing h. When, however, thereproducing-stylus is at the other end of the lever is brought intocontact with the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2, the vibrations impartedby the cylinder to the stylus are transmitted through the lever h andlinki to the diaphragm F, so reproducing the sound.

This employment of a pivoted lever having the recording-stylus at theone end and a, reproducing-stylus at the other end is one of the mainfeatures of my invention, andthe lever may of course be mounted in anysuitable way, so as to give the desired result-namely,

the recording of the sound and the reproduction of the sound through thesame diaphragm.

For the purpose of recording, as shown in Fig. 1; it is desirable thatthe weight g shall be held stationary, in which case the bearing hthereon acts as a stationary bearing for the movement of the lever inrecording, and for this purpose I provide an adj listing-screw g,passing through the diaphragm-carrier F,

against which the arm 9 of the weight g presses, this adjusting-screw gproviding for the necessary adjustment of the stylus in recording. Tohold the weight g up against the screw g, I employthe spring-bar 9secured to the weight and extending forward, so as to engage with thesliding reversing-bar Z, mount-ed in suitable guides in the frame E, ashereinafter set forth, the springresting on the upper surface ofsaid barwhen holding the weight g up against its seat or adjustingscrew, asshown in Fig. 1, but passing down over the inclined forward end Z of thebar Z, when the apparatus is reversed for reproducing and permitting theweight to swing on its pivot 9 so as to bring the reproducing-stylusinto contact with the recording-cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2, the weightbeing then free to move and to hold the reproducing-stylus in contactwith the recording-cylinder, as in the ordinary operation of the Edisonreproducer. It will be noticed that the weight g has thereon what mightbe termed a smoothing block or cylinder, raising and lowering thediaphragmframe according to any inequalities found in the surface of therecording-cylinder. This bridge also serves the purpose of smoothinggthe surface of the cylinder and preparing it for the making of therecord thereon, and it also acts in connection with the set-screw g toregulate the average depth of the record made by the stylus.

It will be noticed that during the recording operation the forward endof the diaphragmframe, which is heavier than the rear end thereof, isfree to rest upon and be supported by the bridge restingon therecording-cylinder, as above stated, but that in reproducing the rearend of the diaphragm-frame is depressed and the frame is held in thatposition, this being necessary to bring into proper position thereproducing-needle and to permit the weight to move in its bearing tohold that needle in contact with the reproducing-cylinder. In themechanism shown this is accomplished by means of what I have termed thereversing-bar Z, this bar extending over the rear portion E of thediaphragm-frame E and being mounted in guideways or bearings e e thereonand having at the rear end the inclined face Z which engages with a likein- IIO ported by the recording-cylinder, as above set forth; but on thereversal of the apparatus as this reversing-bar slides back it drops theweight g, as above described, and atthe'same time it passes under thebar (1 in the frame B, as shown in Fig. 2, and presses down the rear endof the diaphragm-frame E, and soraises the forward end thereof fromcontact with the recording-cylinder, the inclined face Z of the bar Zpassing under the inclined end d of the bar (1. As the forward end ofthe diaphragm-frame is thus raised, itnecessarily lifts therecording-stylus 1' from contact with the cylinder, and as the rear endof the weight g is permitted to drop it lowers the bearing h of thelever h, and these two movements act to lower the reproducing-stylus isat the rear end of the lever h and to bring it into contact with therecording-cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2. To produce this movement of thereversing-bar Z, I employthe lever m, which is located at one side ofthe diaphragm and within easy reach of the operators finger, this leverbeing pivoted atm' and extending down through the diaphragm-holder F,and having at its base a crank m which engages with the reversing-bar Z,extending into a seat Z? thereon. The movement of said lever m,

which is shown in the two positions for recording and reproducing inFigs. 4 and 7, respectively, is all that is necessary to change themachine from recording to reproducing, or vice versa, the lever carryinga plate n, extending over an indicator-plate '27., containing the wordsRecorder and Reproducer, so that the movement of thelever over the plate'21 discloses to view the name of the particular stylus which is incontact with the recording cylinder. ThetwopartsFEofthediaphragmframe Eare bolted together, as above stated, in order to secure the severalparts in their proper positions, and the forward end of the reversingbarZ 1s bent to one side, asshown at Z, Fig. 7, so as to pass the bolte, securing the two parts of the diaphragm together. In order to holdthe reversing-bar in Whichever way is desiredsuch as for recording. orreproducing-I provide the spring-clip 19, secured to the rear portion ofthe frame E and having the pintle 19 passing through the rear bearing 6of the reversing-bar Z and engaging with seats 6 in the reversing-bar.

the recording and reproducing needles when not in use, as these partsare very delicate, and for this purpose it will be noticed that therecording-needle is located close to the bridge g and when theinstrument is arranged for reproducing, as the weight g carryin g thisbar is lowered, the bridge is brought the gear-wheel a above referredto.

It is of course desirable to protect the points of below the stylus, andit is protected from injury. For the same purpose I form in the forwardend of the reversing-bar Z a notch la, into which the point of thereproducing-stylus enters when not in use, these two delicate parts ofthe machine being thus protected from injury.

It is often found desirable in these machines to have the last few linesrecorded upon the cylinder repeatedsuch,forexample,as where a dictationis interrupted and the operator desires to ascertain the last sentencerecorded and as the instrument having the abovedescribed improvementapplied T0 it can be quickly changed from recording to reproducing, itis extremely desirable to have a means for carrying back the diaphragm ashort distance, in some cases shorter than could well be accomplished bymeans of the hand-bard, above described. For this a second orsupplemental screw-bar 1", which has a coarser thread upon it than thefeedingscrew and might be termed a receding or return screw. Thisscrew-bar is mounted in the machine-frame A, and has at one end thereofa geanwheel T, which meshes with The screw-bar passes between the frameB and the bar d, just above the lower bearing d of said frame, andextending out from the frame B are brackets s, in which is pivotedalever S, which extendsto the forward part of the machine, as moreclearly shown in Fig. 4. This lever has rigidly attached thereto an arm8 which extends forwardover the screw-bar 'r and carries at its forwardend the sectional nuts, which engages with the screw-bar r, so that whenthe lever S is depressed the nut s purpose I provide will engage withthe screw-bar, and bythe rotation of the screw-bar will cause the frameB, and with it the diaphragm-frame E and the parts carried thereby, tobe drawn backwardly. The pitch of the screw-bar and nut and the speedthereof can be regulated according to the speed to which it is desiredto recede or draw back the frame B. It is evident, however, that as thenut c is normally in engagement with the main or feed ing screwb beforethe frame can be drawn back it would be necessary to disengage the nut cfrom the screw-bar b. In order to prevent the stylus, either recordingor reproducing, which is in contact with the record'- ing-cylinder fromscratching said cylinder and to prevent injury to the stylus, it is alsonecessary that the diaphragm-frame and mechanism carried by it beraised. For this purpose I provide the arm 5 with a fingerbar it, havingthe finger t, which extends over the collar (Z secured to the slidingbar (1, and when the lever S is depressed this finger-bar acts to drawdown the sliding bar (1 and cause it to press upon the rear end of theframeE or the rear end of the reversing-bar Z, and so depress the rearend of the diaphragm-frame and raise the forward end thereof, and asthecollar d is drawn down it engages with the arm 0 of the nut c anddraws it out of engagement with the feeding-screw b. A separate fingeron the finger-bar 25 might engage with the arm 0 but it is notnecessary. These parts are held in this position as long as theoperators finger is continued on the lever S, and the nut 8 held inengagement with the receding screw-barn As soon as the lever S isreleased through the spring 01 on the sliding bar or other suitablemechanism the parts are carried into their normal position, the nut 8being disengaged from the screw-bar r, the nut 0 caused to engage withthe screw-bar b, and the regular feeding operation is resumed.

The operation of the apparatus briefly described is as follows: Afterthe insertion of the recording-cylinder in the cylinder-holder theoperator shifts the lever m until the recording-stylus is brought intocontact therewith, and he talks into the tube in the same way as thephonograph is ordinarily used. If he desires to reproduce the record somade, all that is necessary is to press upon the sliding bar d, whichacts by pressure upon the end of the diaphragm-frame to raise thediaphragm from the cylinder, and at the sametime through the collar dand arm 0 of the nut c to disengage said nut from the feedingscrewb, andhe slides the frame B backwardly on its supporting or guide arms. He canthen, by simply shifting the lever m, bring the reproducing-stylus intocontact with the cylinder in the manner above described when theapparatus is ready for reproducing, the shifting of the lever causingthe backward movement of the reversingbar Z, which by pressing upon thebase of the bar d causes the depres. .sion of the rear end of thediaphragm-frame E, raising the forward end thereof and drawing up therecording-stylus, while at the same time, through the inclined forwardend of said reversing-bar, the weight g is lowered,-thereby lowering thebearing h of the lever h, and the reproducing-stylusisbroughtintocontactwith therccording-cylinder. Hecanthusshiftfrom recording toreproducing by the movement of said lever and by the opposite movementof the lever shift from reproducing to recording, the movement in suchcase being, briefly stated, todraw forward the reversing-lever Z, sopermitting the rear end of the diaphragmframe to rise and lowering theforward end thereof, so lowering the recording-stylus, and through theincline at the forward end of the reversing-bar pressing on the spring 9to j raise the Weight g and raise the reproducingstylus away from therecording-cylinder, the j weight of the forward end of thediaphragmframe being supported on the bridge 9 The 3 recording andreproducing of the sound is thus L accomplished With' the singlediaphragm I through the medium of the lever h, carrying therecording-stylus at one end and the re-j producing-stylus at the other,and the neces sity for separate diaphragms for this purpose is entirelyovercome, the apparatus being arranged as above described having bypractical tests been shown to give as perfect results as could bedesired.

For the convenience of the operator-such as where it is desired to readafew lines which have been dictated and recordedthe instrument has verygreat advantages, as all that is necessary is to depress the lever S,when, through the mechanism above described, the frame will be drawnback as far as is considered desirable, and by shifting the lever m fromrecording to reproducing the operator can ascertain what was recorded,and as soon as he reaches the end of the record can simply shift thelever m from reproducing to recording and continue his dictation to theinstrument.

The instrument is for its purposes simple in construction, overcomesmany of the obj ec-' tions to both styles of phonographs now on themarket, and practically combines all their advantages and supplies manyof the deficiencies in the former machines in points required forpractical business use.

I do not claim, broadly, the combination, in a phonograph, with thediaphragm, of a recording-point, and a separate reproducingpointconnected therewith and adapted to be brought alternately into operativerelation with the same surface, as I am not the first I above the same,and a lever pivoted below the diaphragm and having one end connected bya link to the diaphragm and provided with a lIC recording-stylus at theend connected to said I der, and a lever pivoted under the diaphragm andhaving a recording-stylus at one end thereof and that end connected tothe diaphragm and a reproducing-stylus at the opposite or freeend,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4C. In a phonograph, the combination of the diaphragm, the weight g,pivoted to the frame thereof and havingthe bearing 71., andthelever h,pivoted in said bearing and having the recording-stylus at one endthereof and that end connected to the diaphragm and thereproducingstylus at the other or free end thereof, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth. 7

5. In a phonograph, the combination of the diaphragm, the weight g,pivoted to the frame thereof and having the bearingwh, the lever 7t,pivoted in said bearing and having the recording-stylus at one endthereof and that end connected to the diaphragm and thereproducing-stylus at the other or free end thereof, and means forholding said weight rigid or permitting the free movement thereof,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a phonograph, the combination of the diaphragm, the weight g,pivoted to the frame thereof and having the bearing h, the lever h,pivoted in said bearing and having the recording-stylus at one end.thereof and that end connected to the diaphragm and thereproducing-stylus at the other or free end thereof, and the spring gand sliding bar Z, having an inclined forward end engaging with saidspring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. ha phonograph, the combination of the diaphragm-frame carrying theweight 9, provided with thebridge g and having the hearing it, and thelever h, pivoted in said bearing and connected at one end to thediaphragm and having the recording-stylus at that end and having thereproducing-stylus at the opposite or free end, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

8. In a phonograph, the combination, with thepivotedleverh,connectedtothe diaphragm and having the reproducing-stylusat its free end, of the sliding bar Z, having a notch to receive thereproducing-stylus when not in use, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

9. In a phonograph, the combination of the frame B, the frame E, pivotedtherein, and the sliding bar on the frame E, adapted to engage with theframe B and to press down the rear end of the diaphragm-frame E and soraise the diaphragm, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In a phonograph, the combination of the frame E, pivoted in theframe B, the reversing-lever m, and the sliding reversing-bar Z,engaging at its forward end with the lever and having the inclined faceZ to engage with the frame B and so depress the rear end of thediaphragm-frame, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

11. In a phonograph, the combination of the frame E, carrying thediaphragm at its forward end, the weight g, pivoted to thediaphragm-frame, and the reversing-bar Z, having the inclined face Z,acting to raise the weight g, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

12. In a phonograph, the combination of the pivoted diaphragm-frame E,the sliding reversing-bar Z, having seat 6 therein, and the spring-clipp, engaging with said seat c ,substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

13. Ina phonograph, the combination of a diaphragm-frame carryingthereon an indicating-plate, and a reversing-lever provided with a plateextending over said indicatingplate and acting in its movement to coverpart thereof and expose part thereof, and the reversing-bar Z, operatedby said lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

14. In a phonograph, the combination of the feeding-screw b, the nutc,engaging therewith and having the arm 0 and the frame B, having thesliding bar (Z, provided with a collar 6Z5, engaging with said arm 0substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

15. In aphonograph, the combination of the frame 13, carrying thesliding bar d, having an inclined lower end, and the diaphragm-frame E,pivoted in the frame B and carrying the sliding reversing-bar Z, havingthe inclined rear end Z substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

16. In a phonograph-machine, the combination of the receding screw 1",the frame B, and the lever S, pivoted therein and having the arm 3 rigidtherewith and carrying the sectional nut s, engaging with said recedingscrew 0", substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

17. In a phonograph, the combination of the feeding-screw Z2 and its nutc, engaging therewith, the receding screw 1", the frame B, and theleverS, pivoted therein and having an arm 8 carrying the nut s andcarrying the fingerbar If, engaging with and acting to withdraw the nuta when the nut s is thrown into engagement with the screw-bar a",substantially as and, for the purposes set forth.

18. In a phonograph, the combination of the receding screw 4", the frameB, carrying the sliding bard, engaging at its base with thediaphragm-frame, and the lever S, pivoted in the frame B and having thearm 8 carrying the nut s, engaging with the screw-bar q" and having thefinger-bar 1., provided with the finger engaging with the collar 0Z onsaid sliding bar cZ, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

.19. In a phonograph, the combination of the machine-frame A, having theshaft a the frame B, and the diaphragm-frame E, pivoted in the frame Band carrying the spring 6, en gaging with said shaft a", substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said LOUIS S. CLARKE, have hereunto set myhand.

LOUIS S. CL ARKE.

Witnesses:

J. N. OooKE, RoBT. D. TOTTEN. 4

